Farmland Preservation Experts Offering Tips

Published: March 31, 1999 12:00AM

While its recommendations for farmland conservation are in the hands of commissioners, the Wayne County Farmland Preservation Task Force is still hard at work.

Members of the group attended Monday sessions of the American Farmland Trust's 12th annual conference, held at Mohican State Park Resort in Perrysville. The event, co-sponsored by the Ohio Department of Agriculture, is focusing on the purchase of agricultural conservation easements.

Individual sessions Monday dealt with a variety of topics, from getting started to raising funds for PACE to ranking systems for evaluating program participation. A number of representatives from established farmland preservation groups in other states served as presenters during sessions.

"There's a lot of experience in this room," said Tom Machamer, task force chairman and owner of Cedar Lane Farms.

Machamer said American Farmland Trusts selection of Ohio as the site for its annual conference is telling of the interest in farmland preservation sparked by the January signing of Ohio Senate Bill 223 into law. The measure authorizes the director of the Department of Agriculture and local governments to hold, acquire and accept agricultural easements.

"(We're) right on the edge of getting things going," he said.

One of the first questions that needs answered in starting farmland preservation is financing the program. In a session on raising funds for PACE, Robert Baumley, assistant director of the New Jersey Farmland Preservation Program, encouraged attendees to consider all of their options.

Baumley discussed a number of the alternatives New Jersey contemplated, including fuel, sales, license plate and real estate transfer taxes. "Test the waters of these ideas," he said.

While the beginning years of New Jersey's program were funded through bond issues, a state budget surplus this year allowed for funding of the preservation effort.

Wayne County's task force recommended a variety of funding options to commissioners last week, from using county general funds and state and federal dollars to a 0.25 percent sales tax increase. Machamer said the committee also will look to private sources within the agriculture industry to help fund efforts.

Baumley said no matter what avenue is taken in attempting to secure funds, gaining public support takes time. "This doesn't happen overnight," he said.

Machamer said one the key factors in gaining that support is education. The task force asked commissioners to establish a county farmland preservation office to begin informing the community about farmland preservation.

Task force member Maryanna Biggio said farmland preservation efforts don't just help farmers.

"It's to the public's benefit," she said, "We have no question about that."

Commissioners will next hold a series of public hearings in an effort to give residents the opportunity to voice their opinions about the subject.